I have known Phillip Freeart since the early 80's at Gordon Tech H.S.. We all gravitated towards one another through Our love of graffiti art. Phil, who hung out with my brother Mike, was this shy mild mannered kid who we would call Clark Kent because he was always nice. His character drawings were always first rate with that Japanese influence and his own twist! He was often sought out to paint characters with the top graffiti artist of that time! Once you saw one of them, you would know who created it. Phil never joined a specific crew but was associated with our crew, the MADCREW because we all hung out and painted together. He had his own one man crew called RCA which stood for Real Creative Artist, which he was. Although we didn't see one another much through college, we always had contact. There he found his love of Rave music and became a club kid and a really good DJ. This was also when he found his alter ego Phil FreeArt! He became really out going, still doing his art ( his way), becoming a well known DJ, started his zine Free Art. He was always on the cutting edge with his fashion and had a love of shoes, particularly New Balance. He took up running and participated in marathons as far away as Japan. By this time he was known only as Phil FreeArt and only us old schoolers called him CHASE. After the death of my cousin Mark last year, who also knew Phil from high school, he and my wife inspired me to take up running and to get healthier. I had not ran since high school! He would always congratulate me when he saw how far I would run. I never could catch up to him but for every 5K race I do I will dedicate that race to him because I know he will be right besides me to push me to finish!!! We are all gonna miss that goofy, mild mannered kid but at least we know he packed a lot into to his short life and we take pride into the fact that he did it His way!!! Rest In Peace CHASE ONE we will meet again some day!!!! With Phil PelipadaFAZEONE- MADCREW

I KNEW HIM AS CHASE TOO AND YOUR RIGHT FAZE IF YOU EVERY SAW HIS WORK YOU KNEW EXACTLY WHO DID IT!! MY CONDOLENCES GO OUT TO HIS FAMILY AND THE MAD CREW FAM AS WELL. MAN STILL GETTING OVER REEM AND NOW ANOTHER MAD CRU BRO GONE TO SOON.

“Being from Chicago in the ’80s I experienced first hand the growth of house music form the view of someone who found it on a college radio show (WNUR’s Street Beat show) as well as the mixes on WBMX and WGCI,” he once wrote. “I was too young to go to the Music Box to hang out with Ron Hardy. In time I started going to clubs such as Medusa’s, Limelight and various rollerskating jams at the Rainbow Roller Rink. There I heard more music not played on the radio. So much to hear and with fresh ears. All this with out musical boundaries.”.........................CHASE MAD CREW.........PHILFREEART...........

This is hard!!! Losing REEM last summer now CHASE, takes a toll on you! I'm not sure of any details as to how he passed but he was way to young!!! Everyone of us needs to take stock of their life and start being smart and try to maintain a healthy lifestyle!!! We're no longer kids and I'm tired of here about one of us dying!!!